Please find below links to recent news about some aspects of disaster resilience…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Wildfires burn across Italy, Spain, Greece and Turkey in heatwave bringing temperatures above 40C https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/01/tourists-evacuated-from-pescara-as-italy-records-over-800-wildfires
Western Wildfires May Take Weeks To Months To Contain https://www.npr.org/2021/08/01/1023274008/western-wildfires-oregon-california-drought
Wildfires destroy entire villages, death toll rises to 4, Turkey https://watchers.news/2021/07/31/turkey-wildfires-damage-death-toll-july-2021/
Afghanistan – Red Crescent Confirms 113 Flood Deaths in Nuristan Province https://floodlist.com/asia/afghanistan-floods-nuristan-july-2021
Colombia – Floods Affect 50,000 After Rivers Overflow in Arauca https://floodlist.com/america/colombia-floods-arauca-july-2021
Chad – Thousands Affected by Floods in Five Regions https://floodlist.com/africa/chad-floods-july-2021
Turkey appeals for help to fight wildfires as heatwave continues https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/02/turkey-appeals-for-help-to-fight-wildfires-as-heatwave-continues
Niger – Floods Leave Over 30 Dead, Thousands of Homes Destroyed https://floodlist.com/africa/niger-floods-leave-over-30-dead-thousands-of-homes-destroyed
Wildfires reach outskirts of Athens during scorching heatwave https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/03/wildfires-reach-outskirts-of-athens-during-scorching-heatwave
South Sudan: Flooding Kills 7 in South Sudan’s Unity State, Official Says https://allafrica.com/stories/202108030081.html
India – Air Force Helicopters Rescue Dozens From Rooftops in West Bengal Floods https://floodlist.com/asia/india-west-bengal-floods-august-2021
Philippines – 1 Missing, Thousands Displaced as Southwest Monsoon Causes Floods and Landslides https://floodlist.com/asia/philippines-floods-august-2021
USA – 1 Dead as Severe Flash Floods Hit Utah for Second Time in a Week https://floodlist.com/america/usa/utah-flood-august-2021
Record Wildfires and Heat Sweep Across Greece, Threatening Historic Sites https://gizmodo.com/record-wildfires-and-heat-sweep-across-greece-threaten-1847421313
India – Thousands Stranded in Madhya Pradesh After Rivers Reach Record Highs https://floodlist.com/asia/india-thousands-stranded-in-madhya-pradesh-after-rivers-reach-record-highs
Sudan – Floods Cause Deaths, Destroy Homes in 3 States https://floodlist.com/africa/sudan-floods-july-2021
Volcanic activity worldwide 5 Aug 2021: Pacaya volcano, Karymsky, Popocatépetl, Reventador, Sangay https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/137461/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-5-Aug-2021-Pacaya-volcano-Karymsky-Popocatepetl-Reventador-Sangay.html
Site of first ancient Olympics at risk as fires rage in Greece https://www.euronews.com/2021/08/05/site-of-first-ancient-olympics-at-risk-as-fires-rage-in-greece
India – Fatalities After Floods and Rain in Rajasthanhttps://floodlist.com/asia/india-floods-rajasthan-august-2021
Italy – Evacuations After More Flooding in Areas Around Lake Como https://floodlist.com/europe/italy-floods-lake-como-august-2021
Iran – Floods Affect 10 Provinces, Red Crescent Reports 8 Fatalities https://floodlist.com/asia/iran-floods-august-2021
Trinidad and Tobago – Flash Floods Wreck Homes and Vehicles https://floodlist.com/america/trinidad-floods-august-2021
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Adapt or die. That is the stark challenge to living in the new world we have made https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/aug/01/adapt-or-die-that-is-the-stark-challenge-to-living-in-the-new-world-we-have-made?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
Greenland experienced ‘massive’ ice melt this week, scientists say https://www.arctictoday.com/greenland-experienced-massive-ice-melt-this-week-scientists-say/
You’re living on a heat island https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/weather/2021/07/16/ever-hear-of-a-heat-island—
Germany’s floods highlight need for urgent climate action https://www.dw.com/en/opinion-germanys-floods-highlight-need-for-urgent-climate-action/a-58702221
In fast-warming world, Tokyo is barometer for future Olympics https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/79205
Strengthening climate resilience through better flood management https://www.unescap.org/blog/strengthening-climate-resilience-through-better-flood-management#
State of the UK climate 2020 https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/joc.7285
In summer of apocalyptic weather, concerns emerge over climate science blind spot https://www.axios.com/extreme-weather-heat-waves-floods-climate-science-dba85d8a-215b-49a1-8a80-a6b7532bee83.html
New report: State of the science on western wildfires, forests and climate change https://www.washington.edu/news/2021/08/02/new-report-state-of-the-science-on-western-wildfires-forests-and-climate-change/
This is the impact of extreme weather on lives and livelihoods https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/08/water-global-disasters-climate-change/
From China to Germany, floods expose climate vulnerability https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/china-germany-floods-expose-climate-vulnerability-2021-07-22/
How summer 2021 has changed our understanding of extreme weather https://theconversation.com/how-summer-2021-has-changed-our-understanding-of-extreme-weather-165268
When the desert becomes flooded: climate change in Chad https://unocha.exposure.co/when-the-desert-becomes-flooded
Africa’s most populous city is battling floods and rising seas. It may soon be unliveable, experts warn https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/01/africa/lagos-sinking-floods-climate-change-intl-cmd/index.html
UN Climate Panel Contends With Models Showing Implausibly Fast Warming https://e360.yale.edu/digest/un-climate-panel-contends-with-models-showing-implausibly-fast-warming
Seismic waves reveal the Arctic is on shaky ground https://temblor.net/earthquake-insights/seismic-waves-reveal-the-arctic-is-on-shaky-ground-13066/
Five lessons from the Global South on climate-related disasters https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/79255
Australian Bushfires Had a Bigger Climate Impact Than the Pandemic in 2020 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/wildfires-had-a-bigger-impact-than-the-pandemic-in-2020
Vast wildfires in Russia’s Yakutia have already set an emissions record https://www.arctictoday.com/vast-wildfires-in-russias-yakutia-have-already-set-an-emissions-record/
Predicting droughts and floods: why we’re studying 19th-century ocean records https://theconversation.com/predicting-droughts-and-floods-why-were-studying-19th-century-ocean-records-164985
Relentlessly hotter: Sizzling heat increasingly the norm in Israel, data shows https://www.timesofisrael.com/sizzling-heat-increasingly-becoming-the-norm-data-shows/
Climate crisis: Scientists spot warning signs of Gulf Stream collapse https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/05/climate-crisis-scientists-spot-warning-signs-of-gulf-stream-collapse
Meals on Wheels prepares to check on seniors as metro area heat wave begins https://www.kptv.com/news/meals-on-wheels-prepares-to-check-on-seniors-as-metro-area-heat-wave-begins/article_bde3a074-efd5-11eb-b409-d703ba8ef092.html
World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency 2021 https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biab079/6325731
World to hit temperature tipping point 10 years faster than forecast https://www.afr.com/policy/energy-and-climate/world-to-hit-temperature-tipping-point-10-years-faster-than-forecast-20210805-p58g7u
Disaster risk reduction
August edition – Disaster Risk Reduction and Open Data Newsletter https://tonkintaylor.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/t/0D2AC7430F7CEB992540EF23F30FEDED/E1B19278A0D5E96A405DC10595964AA8
Campaigners call for national flash flood alert system as extreme rain ‘puts millions at risk’ https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/flash-flooding-alert-system-climate-crisis-b1894358.html
China floods: did Zhengzhou’s ‘smart’ flood prevention system fail to prevent the disaster? https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3142898/china-floods-smart-city-system-capabilities-called-question-after
Flood protection and land value creation — Not all resilience investments are created equal https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/79213
California fire hazard zone map https://www.kqed.org/news/11759209/map-do-you-live-in-a-high-risk-fire-zone
Africa’s largest yearly floods are more strongly linked to regions’ annual peaks in soil moisture than to annual peaks in precipitation https://eos.org/articles/soil-saturation-dictates-africas-flood-severity
The race to save the Underground from flooding https://www.wired.co.uk/article/london-underground-flooding
How Wildfires Threaten U.S. Water Supplies https://labs.waterdata.usgs.gov/visualizations/fire-hydro/index.html
Latest edition of Floodplain Manager newsletter https://www.molinostewart.com.au/editorial/floodplain-manager-july-2021-2/
Sea Levels Influence Eruptions On Volcanic Island https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2021/08/04/sea-levels-influence-eruptions-on-volcanic-island/
How implementing Sendai could have saved Beirut https://www.preventionweb.net/experts/oped/view/76946
Understanding Typhoon and Earthquake Risk in Japan https://www.air-worldwide.com/japan/japan-typhoon-and-earthquake-model/
New global map shows populations are growing faster in flood-prone areas https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/08/04/1030533/population-climate-flood-risk/
Flood mapping start-up: Cloud to Street https://www.cloudtostreet.ai/
Enhancing early warning systems in Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic https://public.wmo.int/en/media/news/enhancing-early-warning-systems-cambodia-and-lao-people%E2%80%99s-democratic-republic
Nature-based solutions in China: Financing “sponge cities” for integrated urban flood management https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/79263
Community insurance against climate change, wildfires in California, and the need for forward-looking wildfire loss modelling https://riskfrontiers.com/insights/community-insurance-against-climate-change-wildfires-in-california-and-the-need-for-forward-looking-wildfire-loss-modelling/
Near real-time global fire map https://firms2.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:2021-08-05;l:country-outline;@0.0,0.0,3z
A Road Map For Adapting Dry Forests To New Fire Regimes https://www.eurasiareview.com/05082021-a-road-map-for-adapting-dry-forests-to-new-fire-regimes/
Evaluating 9 m of near-surface transpressional displacement during the Mw 7.8 2016 Kaikōura earthquake: re-excavation of a pre-earthquake paleoseismic trench, Kekerengu Fault, New Zealand https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/CXSZNEGRV9TD2PFRS4ZM/full?target=10.1080/00288306.2021.1954958
Germany flood risks were clearly underestimated https://www.kit.edu/kit/english/pi_2021_070_flood-risks-were-clearly-underestimated.php
Emergency management
July edition of the Australian Journal of Emergency Management https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/ajem-july-2021/
Florida Breaks Record for COVID-19 Hospitalizations https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/coronavirus/florida-breaks-record-for-covid-19-hospitalizations/2515096/
Tokyo’s New COVID-19 Infections Hit A Record Again, Topping 4,000 For The First Time https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/07/31/1023183575/tokyo-covid-coronavirus-cases-4000-japan
Less than 0.1% of vaccinated Americans tested positive for COVID-19 https://www.axios.com/chart-vaccinated-americans-delta-covid-cases-b93710e3-cfc1-4248-9c33-474b00947a90.html
Death toll in Afghanistan floods tops 100, dozens still missing https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/1/death-toll-afghanistan-floods-tops-100-dozens-still-missing
Fauci: More ‘pain and suffering’ ahead as COVID cases rise https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/fauci-more-pain-and-suffering-ahead-as-covid-cases-rise
Sweden daily Covid deaths hit zero, with human liberty still intact https://www.biznews.com/health/2021/07/26/sweden-covid
How extensive were the adverse health effects of bushfire smoke in the summer of 2019/20? https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/health/how-extensive-were-adverse-health-effects-bushfire-smoke-summer-201920
Covid is surging in Florida. Doctors and nurses are back in crisis mode https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/covid-surging-florida-doctors-nurses-are-back-crisis-mode-n1275746
More firefighters needed to protect Victoria’s snow gums, report recommends https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-04/fires-alter-alpine-landscape-put-snow-gums-at-risk/100345354
WHO calls for moratorium on vaccine booster shots as global infections surpass 200M https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/08/04/covid-mask-mandates-delta-variant-vaccine-cdc-who/5477581001/
County Vaccination Coverage and COVID-19 Case Rates https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccination-case-rate
Disaster education, communications and engagement
How Hamburg recovered after the catastrophic flood of 1962 https://www.thelocal.de/20210730/how-germanys-extreme-weather-has-brought-back-memories-of-the-catastrophic-hamburg-flood-of-1962/
Consultation hub for Scotland’s draft flood risk management plans https://consultation.sepa.org.uk/evidence-and-flooding/frmplans/
Wakayama University students create disaster prevention booklet for children in ‘easy Japanese’ https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210731/p2a/00m/0li/008000c
Ring the alarm: it’s time for US schools to have climate disaster drills https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/566098-ring-the-alarm-its-time-for-us-schools-to-have-climate-disaster
Weather, Climate, and Narrative: A Relational Model for Democratizing Risk Communication https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/wcas/10/3/wcas-d-17-0050_1.xml
Words into Action guideline: Man-made/technological hazards https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/54012
Effect of health belief model on flood-risk educational approach among elementary school children in Malaysia https://jamba.org.za/index.php/jamba/article/view/1102
Psychology and disasters
Fully Vaccinated but Anxious About a Return to Normal Life? You May Have ‘Cave Syndrome’ https://www.wsj.com/articles/fully-vaccinated-but-anxious-about-a-return-to-normal-life-you-may-have-cave-syndrome-11626870612
Psychology researchers offer better tool for visualizing hurricane danger https://natsci.source.colostate.edu/no-more-cone-psychology-researchers-offer-better-tool-for-visualizing-hurricane-danger/
Wildfires Ignite Mental Health Concerns https://therevelator.org/wildfire-mental-health/
Extreme floods change men’s risk preferences, and it could matter for financing climate adaptation measures https://voxeu.org/article/extreme-floods-change-men-s-risk-preferences
Australians are three times more worried about climate change than COVID. A mental health crisis is looming https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-06/australians-three-times-more-worried-about-climate-change-covid/100354008
Australians report climate change as a bigger concern than COVID-19 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667278221000298?via%3Dihub
Sociology and disasters
Homeless scramble to survive rare cold snap, Brazil https://watchers.news/2021/08/01/homeless-scramble-to-survive-rare-cold-snap-brazil/
Over 50% of people in high income countries vaccinated compared to 1% in low income countries https://data.undp.org/vaccine-equity/accessibility/
Why FEMA Aid Is Unavailable To Many Who Need It The Most https://www.npr.org/2021/06/29/1004347023/why-fema-aid-is-unavailable-to-many-who-need-it-the-most
Does social capital contribute to prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic? Empirical evidence from China https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420921004623?via%3Dihub#fig1
Disaster and the lived politics of the resilient city https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016718521002001?via%3Dihub
The Genealogy of Disaster https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2021/08/05/the-genealogy-of-disaster/
Disaster Resilience News 